Bang Bang
by Fluffy Nutty Fluffer Nutter
Summary: The strangest things prompt emotion: a rose might invoke lust, a crucifix might prompt rage, and two bullet wounds and five hours may very well bring about love. AxC


**Title**: Bang Bang

**Author**: Fluff

**Fandom**: Gundam SEED

**Pairing**: AxC

**Warnings**: Spoilers

**Summary**: The strangest things prompt emotion: a rose might invoke lust, a crucifix might prompt rage, and two bullet wounds and five hours may very well bring about love.

**Author's notes**: I decided to dip my toes into the intriguing waters that are the Gundam SEED series. The relationship between Cagalli and Athrun fascinates me in its development, and I just wanted to explore a possibility of how Cagalli might have fallen for Athrun in the first place. The very first step, after all, is understanding.

The title, of course, is inspired by Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)." It's fitting, somehow. - _Fluff_

**Disclaimer**: Gundam SEED is copyrighted to its lawful owners, the geniuses.

**Bang Bang**

By Fluff

Five hours since their fall - five hours since a gunshot rang out from the small cavern - five hours since a wound was bandaged by shaking hands - five hours since she fell in love.

Cagalli Yula Atha was many things: brash, naive, overemotional and overly truthful. Her poker face was awful, her eyes even more obvious in whatever deceit which tried to wade its way through amber. Not once could she recall ever telling a convincing lie - her anger or awkwardness always gave her away, her childish posture sabotaged her with a pout or clenched fists, and her voice would either grow very quiet and humble, or so incredibly loud the ground would quiver.

However, she did not need to lie in her current situation: the love which had sprouted five hours past went unnoticed by the sleeping figure strewn thoughtlessly and lazily across the cave. His glaring red ZAFT uniform curled stiffly round his body, his midnight hair lay strangely over his face and neck, shorter strands sticking up in places, as if they wished to return to the void of gravity of space. After his wound had been tended by Cagalli, he thanked her succinctly and crawled opposite her, then promptly loosed his muscles and collapsed into the sleep from which she had so violently stolen him not so long before.

She watched him carefully, aware of odd details, like the way his eyelids twitched every now and again, and how his left foot would rub against the dirt floor subtly as his dreams progressed. Cagalli found herself entranced by his rather droll form, and she became enraptured at the thought of what might be plaguing his mind. Nightmares, perhaps, of losing his mother at Junius 7? Visions of Heliopolis breaking apart before his eyes, signaling the beginning of an even more passionate hatred in the war? Or, maybe, he dreamt of a blonde rogue who had attacked him on a sunny beach, then voiced her horrified fear as a blade was raised before her eyes?

She wanted to know.

Pushing the scratchy woollen blanket off her shoulders, Cagalli slowly stood, stiff joints popping in protest. She walked over to her sleeping companion, took another thoughtful glance at the man who so intrigued her, then unceremoniously seated herself right by his head, her back against the rough wall. Immediately, verdant eyes snapped open, looking for the potential danger which awoke him from his uneasy sleep. Meeting no threat, he cautiously lifted his head and turned in the direction of a new warmth beside him.

"No gun this time," Cagalli said casually, her legs stretched out in front of her, her small hands clasped gingerly in her lap.

"Good, I don't think I would enjoy being shot by you for a third time," he replied sleepily, his alertness slipping a little.

"But it would be a charm."

"Though certainly not charming."

"Go back to sleep," Cagalli grumped, scowling at amused green eyes.

"I think I just might do," was mumbled from within a yawn, then: "...pillow.." And he dropped his head into her lap.

_ What!_

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Cagalli hissed, a very unladylike crease forming on the bridge of her nose.

"What other purpose would you have sitting there other than to owe me the comfort of a pillow?" came the soft reply, one which begged to return to unsettled dreams.

She did not speak for a whole thirty-seven seconds before: "You looked like you were having a nightmare. Someone being near me always helps when I have bad dreams." Her cheeks suddenly flushed scarlet at her childish confession, and she had the presence of mind to remain silent after the impromptu utterance.

"No nightmares," he replied after a length, surprising Cagalli at the sheer honesty of his tone. "Just dreams."

"About what?"

"An old friend." She smiled after hearing that, a certain realization warming her hands and feet: this human being was most definitely not unlike herself. He had friends, and wonderful memories, and also, she realized with a shiver, his own reasons to fight passionately and powerfully, damned be the consequences.

"I'm sorry," Cagalli whispered after they had lapsed into silence once more. "I shouldn't have said some of the things I did. You have your own motives for being a soldier, and I shouldn't judge you on that."

"First impressions suddenly don't matter?" he asked, a hint of a tease in his smooth voice, and he turned on his back, so he could look up at her. He had a gentle smile on his face, which had Cagalli realize that the blush staining her cheeks might never go away.

"Of course they matter! But, they can always change, over time. I still think what you're doing is wrong, but maybe your reasons are right."

"Wise words from a wise woman," he chuckled, raising a hand to flick at her hair. "And a dirty woman, at that. You still have sand in your hair."

"And whose fault is that!" Cagalli snapped, her face hot and her stomach cold. "If you hadn't have tied me up - "

"If you hadn't have shot at me, yes, you wouldn't be covered in sand. But because you did shoot at me, you're a small dune fit for a crab. Now let me sleep." And with that, his green eyes were gone from the world, black eyelashes the only thing glaring up at Cagalli.

"You're not sleeping on me. My legs will go numb," she grumbled, unlacing her hands and setting them on the floor of the cave.

"My head isn't heavy." Yet still, he moved, sat up slowly, another yawn forcing its way out of his chest. He looked at Cagalli questioningly, a raised midnight eyebrow sitting in an elegant arc.

"I'll go back over to my side," she said, without knowing what else she should say at such an expression. He nodded, then watched as she crawled back over to where her borrowed blanket lay. Burrowing in the scratchy folds, she gave him one last pointed look, which screamed _the battle of the wits is far from over, my friend_, then shut her large amber eyes.

However, before she finally slipped into an uneasy sleep, she heard a faint voice say, "You remind me of him."

Then she knew only her companion running out of the cave, suddenly sunny, excited about his distress call being received.

The night passed all too quickly, yet not quickly enough. It all seemed a blend of panic, violence, emotion, and strange understanding. Rubbing at her eyes, Cagalli stood, the scratchy blanket forgotten on the dirt floor. She ran to meet her companion at the foot of his mobile suit, squinting upward. He informed her that his comrades were on their way for him, and a rescue team was headed in the direction of her fighter.

_ Saved... but..._

They exchanged a few words after that, impersonal and somewhat cold, but as she walked away from the stranger who had captured her heart with two bullet wounds and a kindness unbefitting of a soldier, she realized that there was one thing, among many, that she absolutely needed to know.

"I'm Cagalli! Your name?"

"Athrun." Smiling, she gave a wave, then started running. _What a story for the ages_, she mused as she raced past green and brown, _falling in love with a wounded enemy before even knowing his name._

_ A wise woman, indeed._

As she broke out of the brush, the Strike surfaced roughly out of the ocean waters, and security once again wrapped itself round Cagalli. She was no longer stranded, she was going back with Kira.

Amazing: a familiar happiness crawled over her, yet did not quash the new emotion flowing through her. These two men, Kira and Athrun, made her smile, and doubt herself, and showed her a new world through objective, unemotional eyes.

Running toward the Strike, a strange thought entered Cagalli's mind: _Athrun and Kira, I think they could be friends._

"Kira!"

_-fin-_


End file.
